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Pool campaign reaches $1.7M; commission hears marketing update and project budget review
Summary
Fundraisers and town staff reported nearly $1.7 million in gifts for the Carbondale pool campaign and updated the commission on marketing, donor outreach and construction budget status; consultants reported a small reserve shortfall in the rec sales/use tax fund after accounting reconciliations.
Cynthia (campaign marketing lead) updated the commission on May 14 that Carbondale’s pool capital campaign had raised “almost 1.7,” and that roughly $800,000 remained on a $2.5 million fundraising goal.
The campaign has deployed paid advertising, testimonials, radio spots and a direct-mail piece that produced modest initial returns. Cynthia told the commission the campaign is using targeted outreach (letters to the editor, donor testimonials and local events) and noted a recent unsolicited $10,000 gift from a donor who responded to published coverage. Staff and volunteers are scheduling outreach at the Farmer’s Market, First Friday and other summer events and seeking volunteers and short shifts to staff booths.
On budget and construction, consultant Wember (project managers) and town staff reported to trustees and the commission that a post-budget reconciliation revealed timing differences between when some pool expenditures were recorded and the fiscal-year budget assumptions. Finance staff recalculated the recreation sales-and-use-tax fund balance and found the fund balance was about $56,000 short of the commission’s 80% target used in prior budgeting assumptions.
Parks Director Eric Brenlinger told commissioners this shortfall stems from timing allocations; the recalculation also showed an $800,000 transfer that had been recorded in a way that trustees might have allocated differently had the corrected fund balance been available during earlier decisions. Staff emphasized the town is not in immediate financial distress; Brenlinger said contingencies remain and that the project team is proceeding on the assumption that current contingencies will cover expected change orders. He said the team is advancing grant applications (CORE, Pitkin County, T‑Mobile and private foundations) and pursuing more six-figure donors to close the gap.
Commissioners and staff discussed operations planning, including staffing/lifeguard recruitment and a fees-and-charges schedule to be finalized in the town’s upcoming budget process. Recreation Manager Robin Jacober is preparing FF&E (furniture, fixtures, equipment) budgets and noted some purchases have already been made while others remain to be ordered to hedge price increases.
Ending: The campaign team asked commissioners to continue ambassador outreach. Staff will continue to monitor contingencies, pursue grant opportunities and return to the commission with updated fundraising totals and a summary of pending change orders and contingency status.
